Agenda item

The report presents proposals to further develop the Waverley Careline Service to improve the service for Waverley’s older population and in light of the changes to government funding.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Executive gives approval to the proposals to remodel the Careline Service and the detailed recommendations set out in (Exempt) Annexe 1.

The Executive has given approval to the proposals to remodel the Careline Service and agreed to RECOMMEND the detailed recommendations set out in the (Exempt) Annexe to this bulletin to the COUNCIL .

[This item is recommended to the Council for decision and is not subject to the call-in procedure].

[Reason: to consider proposals to further develop the Careline service]

[This item contains exempt information by virtue of which the public is likely to be excluded during the item to which the report relates, as specified in Paragraph 1 of the revised Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, namely:-

            Information relating to an individual]

30.1    Society is changing. People are living longer and in greater prosperity. Older people are an increasingly diverse group, ranging from those who are in mid-life to those who have reached and exceeded their centenaries. The 2011 census recorded that 25,200 residents within Waverley were aged 65+. This is projected to increase by 14.3%, by 2020. The 85+ population is projected to increase by 28.6% by 2020.

30.2    Today, older people are much less likely to go into residential care as they age; remaining instead in their own homes for as long as possible. Not only is this more financially viable for individuals in the current economic climate, it means that older people can, with the right level of support, live independently for longer. As a result, older people are living in the community longer with complex conditions such as dementia and chronic illness.

30.3    Waverley’s Careline service provides a very popular service to older and vulnerable people living within our communities by installing equipment that provides access to a 24 hour call centre should they need emergency assistance.  But if it is going to continue to meet the needs and aspirations of an ageing population, it must continue to adapt and modernise. Waverley Careline has a continued role to play as a vital, preventative service.

30.4    The service has been managed by the Sheltered Services Manager on a temporary basis following the departure of the previous Careline and Telecare Manager last year. This arrangement has demonstrated the significant synergy between Sheltered Services and the Careline Service which has proven to be beneficial and successful for both services.

30.5    The Careline service had been offering an additional element funded entirely from external Supporting People funding for the past four years.  This provided additional contact to those clients needing a little more support.  This additional element of the service was not seen as effective when compared to other approaches to supporting people in the community.  As a result funding is being withdrawn by Surrey County Council in 2015/16 and they have working with Waverley to put in place alternative arrangements for those clients who previously received this additional contact.  

30.6    Moving forward, there is an opportunity to embed the closer working arrangements across the Careline and Sheltered Housing teams under a single manager focused on supporting the needs of older people in Waverley.  The new Sheltered Services and Careline Manager role will replace the two current Sheltered Services Manager and the Careline and Telecare Manager roles. The current Sheltered Services Manager has assimilation rights into the redesignated Sheltered Services and Careline Manager role.

30.7    The closer working across the two teams under a single manager would necessitate, for operational reasons, the establishment of a new team leader role within the Careline element of the service.  Following a selection process, the team leader role will be filled by the development of one of the current posts which  would report to the new Sheltered Services and Careline Manager and have responsibility for day to day logistics, including staff supervision, and appraisals, whilst continuing to undertake their current role. The capacity within the team will be managed appropriately to enable them to do this.

30.8    The withdrawal of the Supporting People funding impacts directly on two posts which will be deleted.  Whilst potential redundancy costs are set out in (Exempt) Annexe 8, the Council has a good track record in helping staff in these circumstances secure alternative employment.  Therefore, every attempt will be made to redeploy the members of staff concerned under Waverley’s Redeployment and Restructuring policies.

30.9    The Executive has given approval to the proposals to remodel the Careline Service and agreed to

RECOMMEND that

13.       the detailed recommendations set out in (Exempt) Annexe 8 be approved.

[Reason: to consider proposals to further develop the Careline service]